jonnifer's Profile

Display Name: jonnifer
Personal URL: http://www.jenfromtheblock.com
Member Since: 5/29/09

Latest Comments...

I doubt anyone actually says "this used to be a garage?!" - it's clearly a converted garage! The conversion is well done though and I think it's an excellent use of the space. I do wonder about the the heating/air bills with the two huge garage doors serving as an uninsulated wall of windows.


Juan's Garage Turned Modern Guest House House Tour
5/20/13 2:42 PM

We frequently rent an apartment or home for our vacations and prefer it to hotels. We like having a kitchen and the amenities of home. Now that we will be traveling with a baby, we'll be even more inclined to choose that over hotels. There are tons of great options out there through management companies as well, if you don't want to deal with individual homeowners.


Home Away from Home: The New Way To Travel
5/20/13 11:51 AM

I want them to be my neighbors. How cute are they?! The apartment isn't too shabby either. ;)


Stephen & Robert’s Stylish Bed Stuy Pad House Tour
5/10/13 12:00 AM

Cute house, cute family. Love all the nods to your family background, hobbies, previous jobs, etc. Personality really shines through. Sidonie is adorable.

One question - can you share the exterior paint colors? Love that shade of green with the cream trim and red door.


Daniela & Damon's History-Filled Home House Tour
5/8/13 3:19 PM

this is awesome! hard to believe it's the same space without being expanded.


Before & After:
Mandy's Handsome Bath Reno Canadian House & Home

4/24/13 3:36 PM

I actually would have loved to see a photo of the unfinished basement. Is it a full basement (as in, when you finish it, you double your square footage)? I was wondering where little Ramona slept!
I actually really love the kitchen. Tiny but efficient and bright.


Emily & Jonathan's Urban Homestead House Tour
4/24/13 2:06 PM

The bookshelves are such a great idea, good use of the space and created a nice focal point for the room. The card catalog is awesome (!!) though I think it would look better placed somewhere else. It consumes that little corner. I can see why you love the apartment, tons of natural light and cute character. I also like your "sleep in" banner above the bed. :)


Alexis & Brooks' Charming West Hollywood Apartment House Tour
4/24/13 1:57 PM

I'm definitely one that prefers empty spaces/minimally decorated & furnished rooms over something so packed with things the eye can never relax. I'm currently putting together a room for our first baby due in a few weeks. I have a chair, a table & lamp, the baby's bed, a small dresser and a rug. My neighbor asked when I was going to "finish" the room - to me it was! :)


The Case for Leaving an Empty Room in Your Home Life At Home
4/24/13 1:15 PM

New building code requires an electrical outlet on every wall or every 8 feet - it's so people don't overload the outlets or run extension cords, etc like you see in a lot of older homes.

I love our 90 year old house - especially now that we've updated the electrical, the plumbing, etc to make them efficient!


Old House Habits Die Hard
4/22/13 7:25 PM

I think the white trim would pop a bit more if the walls were a slightly different color. As it is now, it's a nice improvement but it doesn't really make a huge difference in the before vs. after photos. And now that paper lantern/chandelier looks a little boring - it used to contrast nicely against the dark trim. However, you like it and feel like it makes a difference to your space and it's a good tip for other folks looking for a "quick change" (though, painting trim is my nemesis, i'd rather paint the wall!).


Before & After: Abigail's \"Can of Paint\" Quick Kitchen Updates Renters Solutions
4/17/13 3:57 PM

IMO - the only thing worth splurging on is the better quality rocker. The crib, the rug, the clock, the decorating accents - all things that are going to change within a year or two (at most) of baby's arrival, why spend all that money? The rocker could easily be moved around the house or grow with the child and be used for many many years.


One Design, Two Budgets: Modern Nursery
4/16/13 4:53 PM

Just bought this last week for our guest bathroom - which completely lacks storage. Fits perfectly in the space next to the sink and now stores everything and brings fun color to the room. Really though, you could use it just about anywhere in your house. Thought it also might be nice for potted herbs, wheel them around to get the most sun! Go get it LaureltQ!


Raskog Kitchen Cart by Nike Karlsson
4/15/13 11:24 AM

I like neighbors that are friendly, but not overly so since we tend to be private people that like to keep to themselves. We moved from a rural area where our house was surrounded by trees and woods to just outside downtown where our backyard borders 8 yards/homes. Everyone we have met is really nice, our next door neighbors are awesome and have become friends...but I still want a tall privacy fence, plan on planting loads of bordering trees/shrubs and hopefully will carve out a more private space. Neighbors can have a huge impact on your enjoyment of a property - but, much like family, you don't always get a choice. :)


Considering Your Neighbors When You Choose a New Home
4/11/13 2:35 PM

any ideas how to keep wandering cats out of your yard? my neighbor has 4 and it seems like any sandy/slightly soft ground in my backyard (including our garden space!) has become their litterbox. I don't mind cats, but I'd really like an effective way to keep them OUT.


10 Kid-Friendly Ideas for Backyard Fun
4/10/13 1:27 PM

I love the space - so lovely and perfect for a girl or boy. The chair is amazing - what a great find!!


Baby H's Labor of Love My Room
4/10/13 10:45 AM

Can you share a source for the french/english counting print? Lovely rooms, look like spaces for big imaginations!


Art-Fueled, Playful, Kid Heaven Kids Room Tour
4/5/13 3:22 PM

When we moved as newlyweds 9 years ago, I was at a loss of where/how to make friends. So I joined a random bookclub off Craigslist. The friends I made there continue to be some of my closest friends, even after we moved again 2 years ago. Now in our new city, I have made it a rule that once a month I find an opportunity to engage socially outside my comfort zone. That means accepting dinner party invitations, volunteering, chatting with neighbors and the people next to me in Pilates, etc. It's amazing how receptive people are - I've discovered most people are like me, a little hesitant and unsure how to "make the first move" and relieved when someone else does it. It's been great though, we've started making connections and meeting friends of friends, etc.


10 Tried & True Tips: How to Make New Friends in a New City
4/4/13 4:16 PM

I've seen many homes where the TV over the fireplace is done in an aesthetically pleasing way, but still find them uncomfortable to watch hung that high given the size of most living rooms. We're fortunate enough to have a basement family room at our house and so we have the TV down there. I love not having it the centerpiece of our main floor living room, but that's not an option for a lot of people and so many homes these days are designed so that the only place you can hang the tv is over the fireplace, unless you want to choose which should be the focal point of the room.
I would suggest finding a mounting bracket that allows you to tilt or lower the tv when in use. A friend of ours has one of these for their over-the-fireplace flatscreen and it's perfect. They can easily just pull out and lower down to a better viewing height and then push it back flush when not in use. I think they found theirs on Amazon?


The Home Theater Mistake We Keep Seeing Over and Over Again
4/3/13 12:36 PM

We have plenty of space to accommodate overnight guests, but I still say no sometimes if I don't feel up to having visitors. Hosting friends is never a problem, we love seeing them and they are easy-going. It's being asked to host family that stresses me out. My husband's siblings all have 4 children, my siblings all have 3 children and that's just A LOT going on for a normally childless house - but I feel guilty saying no, especially because we don't see them often (1-2 times per year).
Something else I struggle with that I'd love to get some thoughts on - how do you enforce "house rules"? For example, we don't do soda, junk food, or fast food. We don't eat anywhere but the dining room table. We take shoes off at the door. Pets aren't allowed on furniture. I want folks to feel comfortable, but I also want house rules followed when we have guests. Do I just shoot an email with house rules and driving directions and then not mention it again? I don't want to be the host that nags, but it's especially hard with kids.


Overnight Guests: Can You Just Say No? Reading My Tea Leaves
4/3/13 12:28 PM

When we remodeled our 90 yr old house a few years ago, we went with IKEA cabinets and have been so pleased. Our previous house we spent close to $15K on cabinets and they were so crappy! Our entire kitchen (appliances, cabinets, granite, lighting fixtures, etc) cost us less than $15K this time around and in large part because we only spent about $3K on the cabinets. We went with RAMSJO in the white wash. They were super easy to put together and install. They can take a lot of abuse and still look brand new.
We used the money we saved and found a good local granite supplier for the counters, went to Sears and bought nice appliances during once of their sales, used restoration hardware for the knobs & pulls. I think the key is not buying everything at IKEA because then your kitchen looks like a store display. :)
If you want to see photos of our kitchen - I have before & after pictures on my blog:
http://jenfromtheblock.com/the-bungalow/


Are IKEA Kitchen Cabinets a Good Idea? Good Questions
4/2/13 10:52 AM